


wounds

by Imaginary_Capable16



Series: scars (and other things I wish I could hide) [2]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood and Injury, Don't worry, F/M, Gen, Growing Wings, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I promise, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lung Cancer, Megatron is a punk bitch, Ratchet's got a holoform, SUCK IT, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, fluff!, flying into the sunset cliche, he's having none of optimus' bullshit, light angst?, no one dies, optimus does his best, other weird things, ratchet ships it, so is starscream, there's a happy ending, yet - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24844723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Imaginary_Capable16/pseuds/Imaginary_Capable16
Summary: Optimus remembers the good days and worries for what's to come.
Relationships: Bumblebee & Rafael "Raf" Esquivel, Optimus Prime & Ratchet, Optimus Prime/Original Female Character(s), Ratchet (Transformers) & Original Female Character(s)
Series: scars (and other things I wish I could hide) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664026
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10





	wounds

**Author's Note:**

> This one is more of a scenario than an actual creature, and I literally can't resist Optimus its a huge problem of mine.  
> It's a good amount of angst, on the OC's part, there's some fluff in there too, Optimus basically feels useless which is not something he's used to or something I like writing lol but here we are. Basically a self-indulgence one-shot oopsy. 
> 
> I think this can be read as a Ratchet x OC at some parts, you'll understand when (if) you read it, but in my mind, her and the doc-bot are just good friends. He was the one she bonded with best (aside from the big guy, obviously) and he treats her like a co-worker in most instances. 
> 
> I loved writing the dynamic with my character and the other Autobots, romantic feelings, or not. It's fun to play with the fact that she's like a mother or a baby-sitter of sorts to them. She cares deeply about their safety, but she's also exasperated with them 8/10 times, and it's hysterical. 
> 
> I'm thinking about writing more backstory (because this monstrosity hasn't gone far enough) and I'll let you all know if I choose to do that. 
> 
> I should also ask for forgiveness for any mistakes in this. I poured research into this like I pour creamer into my coffee (way too much) and I tried to fix any mistakes. If one of you has experience with lung cancer or knows someone who does (my heart goes out to you, first of all) please let me know if anything in here is incorrect. 
> 
> But then again, this is a fictional universe and people don't grow wings on the daily, so a little leeway might be nice too. 
> 
> Could I have written this without the whole 'growing wings' thing? Probably. Do I care? Not really, this was entirely self-indulgent and the idea wouldn't leave my brain, so here we are. Enjoy.

Optimus remembers the old days, it is hard to forget them. 

The days where Cybertron flourished, where there was no civil war, no Decepticons or Autobots, and no injured friends. He remembers his brother as he once was, and not what he has become. He remembers the archives of Cybertron, the days of endless reading and cataloging that brought him a certain sense of peace. 

Optimus remembers the first day his team arrived on Earth. He remembers the crash, the roll call he took, and the way Bulkhead walked into what they now know as powerlines. He remembers the way Arcee laughed so hard she leaked transmission fluid and remembers the group of humans who swarmed them in the middle of the desert. 

He remembers his first interaction with Agent Fowler, who vouched for him and his team. He remembers the woman in uniform standing at his side and how she looked at them with no hostility, but with pity and kindness. 

He remembers how they were escorted to Washington D.C., and how the woman, who he later learned was another Agent- Fowler's right-hand woman, he called her. Agent Cross was the first name he learned to call her by, and only until they arrived in D.C. and was sworn under oath did he learn her first name: Annalisa. 

He remembers the drive to Nevada, to an abandoned military station the government had offered up as a shelter. The town nearby was small, and they were sure they would have minimal human contact. 

He remembers offering to be the one to drive her for three days, and her accepting with something like relief in her voice. He remembers the clicking of the keys on her keyboard. He asked once or twice what she was writing, and she replied with, "Reports for work, this whole aliens thing has me under fire. Don't worry," She'd said, somehow sensing his apology before he could voice it. "It's not your fault, this happens with everything." 

He remembers pulling over once somewhere in Nebraska and watching as she stumbled from his cab to the side of the road, hurling whatever dinner she'd just eaten. "Gas station crap," she'd mumbled, drinking water. "Should've known that wouldn't go down well." 

Optimus remembers arriving at the base and how Ratchet grumbled about primitive technology. He remembers how they took the lift up to the roof and looked at the stars, trying to spot Cybertron or one of its moons. He remembers Annalisa asking questions about their space travel, and how everyone took turns answering them. 

He remembers how he watched her fall asleep in a sleeping back on the metal ground, and how the next night, when he noticed her shivering, offered to let her sleep on his chassis. She accepted with a sheepish smile, and he noticed how much better she slept. It became a ritual for them: she'd waddle over with her sleeping bag, tired from the day's work of phone calls, paperwork, and reports, and he'd lift her onto his chassis. He remembered how quickly she fell asleep, and he wouldn't admit how much easier he fell into recharge. 

He remembers the laughter she shared with the old medic, both of them bonding over an overload of work and a general dislike of incompetent humans. He remembers how well she got along with Arcee and Cliffjumper, the special liking she took to Bumblebee, and how she taught Bulkhead driving etiquette. 

And he remembers the doctors call, the news she pulled him aside for, and the look on her face as she gave it. "I'm going to the doctors for some testing this week." 

"Is something wrong?" The anxiety he had at that moment mounted with every word she spoke. 

She shrugged. "We don't know yet, but Fowlers' concerned. Apparently coughing up blood at work is not normal." 

"No, I would think not." 

She cracked a smile at his response. It was the last one he saw for a very long time. 

Annalisa didn't return from Los Angeles for months, she didn't even give them the update in person, Fowler drove in from his office. As soon as he opened the elevator, every bot in the base has stopped what they were doing and practically ran over. He had to hold up a hand to stop the barrage of questions they threw at him. "I only know what the doc told me: she tested positive for lung cancer. They said it was some sort of exposure to an unknown material for an extended period." 

"So send her back here, doc bot can fix her up." Cliffjumper insists, and Bulkhead hums in agreement. 

Fowler sighed, as though he was dealing with children. Optimus reasoned that in a way, he was. "It's not that simple, this kind of thing requires... very delicate work." 

"Ratchet is delicate. What even is cancer?" 

Fowler massaged the bridge of his nose. "In her case, it's a growth of abnormal cells in one of her lungs. They say it's Stage 2. We caught it relatively early, which means we have a better chance. The thing that lets her breathe," He adds when he sees the Autobot's looks of confusion. "They're not doing what they're supposed to do: tissue deterioration, buildup, among other things. The doctor put it more eloquently, but that's the basis of it." 

Optimus dares to ask the question. "Will she live?" 

No one says a word, and Fowler's shoulders slump. "There's a possibility. More than half of the people who have it don't make it, sometimes more." The base is dead quiet. "I'll keep you updated, but she's in the hospital right now, they're briefing her on the type of treatments." 

Optimus nods, thanks the Agent, and watched the elevator disappear through the roof. 

He remembers the days of quiet in the base after Fowler gave them the news. He remembers the panic he felt and the thought process that got him there. 

He remembers the almost three months of waiting and overthinking when a call comes through. It's Annalisa, and she sounds so tired it breaks his metaphorical heart. "Hey, team." 

He and Ratchet are the only ones in the base at the time, the others have gone on drives, he trusts them enough to not get into trouble. His smile is small, but the sense of relief to hear her voice is far from. Ratchet takes notice. "Hello, Annalisa." 

"You know you can call me something shorter, don't you?" 

"I do," he replies. "How are you?" 

"So damn tired, let me tell you." Ratchet snorts next to him. "Hey, I was wondering, if you'll have me, do you mind if I drop by tonight? Lord knows I could use a full night of sleep." 

"You are always welcome here, you need not ask." He knows Ratchet feels the same, no matter how much he denies it. "Do you require a Groundbridge?" 

There's a hum of affirmation on her end. "Thank you." 

"Of course." Ratchet is already prepping the newly built Groundbridge, using what limited technology they were given and what they landed with, it is an impressive feat. 

He remembers the way she walked through that Groundbridge, how utterly  _ exhausted  _ she looked. There was a decorative scarf roped around her head hiding her hair and deep circles under her eyes. If he focuses his optics closer, he can see how much weight she's lost in three months. The strong woman who he'd first met that day in the desert is no longer here. He wondered what happened along the way that made her like this, reduced to a skeleton with skin and eyes. 

He remembers Ratchet trying to hide his look of pity and sorrow when she greats him with a quiet voice. He kneels down to her level and they engage in a quiet conversation about health. Optimus does not hear much, it is not his conversation to hear. When they are finished, he rises, and the Prime swears her can see a drop of fluid leaking from his friends optic. 

He remembers when he picked her up how light she felt. "Hello Annalisa," He murmured. 

She'd smiled. "Hey big guy, what's happening with you?" 

"It has been fairly uneventful thus far, and you?" 

She laughs, but it's not out of joy. "Could be better." 

"I can see that." 

She sits in his servo and requests they go somewhere else to talk. It's not that she doesn't want Ratchet to hear, she assures the medic, but if the others come back, she doesn't know how they'll take the news.

Ratchet waves off her concern, and tells her it is of no consequence. Optimus nods in thanks and carries her to his berth room, careful not to close her servo, watching where he steps. Out of the countless times, he's done this with her, he doesn't know why he's suddenly being overly cautious. 

He remembers how his door hissed open and closed behind them, and when he settles on the edge of his berth, how Annalisa burst into tears. 

He didn't know what to do. He can't exactly wipe her tears, his digits are too large for that, all he can do is sit there and hope his servo is comfort enough. 

She sniffles and wipes her nose. Optimus feels a jolt of sympathy shoot through his spark. "I am sorry," He rumbles, though he isn't sure what exactly what he hopes to accomplish with this. 

Annalisa snorts and looks up at him with weary eyes. "Don't apologize, this isn't your fault." 

"I am sorry that I cannot do more. I have researched this cancer Agent Fowler spoke of, and I am truly sorry." 

She sniffles again, reaching up to untie the decorative scarf around her head. "Have you read into treatments?" 

He nods, watching her unravel that fabric. "I have, there are several that-" 

He has to fight to keep his intake from falling open. 

Annalisa folds the fabric over in her hands, revealing her head. Her hair has all fallen out, the surface of her skull smooth. She runs a hand over it, and he remembers following its movements with his optics. 

"Chemotherapy." She supplies, "not fun. I shaved the rest of it off about two weeks ago, there wasn't much left." 

"Will it grow back?" _Primus_ , that is the dumbest question he's probably asked in a very long time. 

She nods. "If I make it through treatment and surgery, yeah. I plan to keep it short actually, just to change things up." 

"Surgery?" 

She nods again, eyes clouding over with tears. "They say another cycle of Chemo and then we'll talk specifics, but it's coming." Annalisa takes a deep, shuddering breath. As though his spark breathes with her, he feels it quiver. "Have you ever gone through surgery?" 

"A time or two, yes. Ratchet was my operator, I would trust him with my life." He remembers her nod and the follow-up question she asked. 

"Is it scary?" 

He remembers how he considered his answer, searching for the right words to use. It  _ was  _ scary, at least the first time. The experience didn't get better the second, but at least he knew what to expect. He doesn't want to frighten her, that's the last thing he wants, but he doesn't know how else to phrase what he wants to say. 

"It is... disconcerting, to say the least. I was more inclined the second time, though I pray you do not have to go through it more than once." 

He remembers the nod, and how they talked well into the night. They strayed away from the subject of her disease. He cracked as many jokes as he could possibly remember, and was rewarded with a smile or two from her. No matter how small, they always seem to make his spark jump. 

He remembers settling down for recharge when he noticed her stifling yawns. "Would you like to rest in my alternative mode, or will this suffice?" 

Annalisa smiles. "This is fine, thank you. Can I-" she hesitates, and he doesn't know why. They've done this often enough where she doesn't have to say anything and he will know what she needs. "Can I lay on you?" 

"There is no need to ask." She does as instructed, and his cooling fans kick on when he feels her bare hands on the metal. 

She heads down feet first, swinging around and holding onto his servo while her feet search for purchase. When they find it, she drops down, still holding her scarf. She bunches most of it into a ball, tucking it into a pillow of sorts, and the other end is draped around her shoulders. 

Optimus turns his servo around over her body, shielding her from an invisible threat, and begins the recharge process. 

He remembers how she whispered in the dark room. "Optimus." 

He hummed in response. 

"Thank you." 

"Of course, if there is anything you need, do not hesitate to tell me." 

He remembers waking up from recharge with Annalisa still asleep on his chassis. Normally, she's either awake before him, or around the same time. He waits roughly a half-an-hour, before tipping her gently into his servo. And still, she sleeps. 

He remembers walking into the main room, greeted by the sight of a tired Ratchet who still hasn't recharged (he scolded him gently on it later.) He'd opened his mouth, but when his old friend notices the still-sleeping human in his hand, he closes his intake. "She's usually awake by now." He whispered gently, probably the quietest Optimus had heard him in a long time. 

"Perhaps we should call Agent Fowler." 

Ratchet shakes his head. "We should let her sleep, I doubt she's rested well in a while." 

Optimus nods and returns to his berth room to avoid the ruckus of the other Autobots. She woke up sometime in the middle of the day, it wasn't a problem for him, he didn't mind letting her sleep in the least, but having to scroll and navigate his datapad with one hand was rather challenging at times. 

He remembers how she lay in his servo for a little while longer, watching him scroll through Cybertronian texts. He does not say anything, and they sit there in comfortable silence for at least an hour more, until Bulkhead hollered from the main room. "Fowlers' calling!" 

He remembers how she groaned in his servo, turning and burying her head in the scarf. She muttered a human profanity under her breath and he had to fight back a smirk. "Perhaps we should indulge him," Annalisa said something about what else Fowler could indulge in, and this time, he does not hold back a snort of laughter. She grinned up at him. 

He remembers walking back into the front, only to see Bulkhead yelling  _ Cybertronian  _ profanities at Fowler. "No, I don't know where she is! She's not here! Quit yelling- oh." He mumbled, spotting the human in Optimus' servo. "Scrap." 

Optimus gave him a look." Good afternoon Agent Fowler." 

"Prime! Where is my Agent? The hospital says-" 

"Piss off Will, I'm here." 

There was the loudest sigh on the other end of the line, Optimus could picture the man rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Care to tell the doctor when you're going on a joyride to go see your favorite aliens?" 

The two bots gave her a look of shock as she wrapped the scarf around her head once more. "I'll think about it, are they worried?" 

"Worried? Cross you nearly gave me a heart attack!" 

She winced in his hand. "You can put me down. You want me to Groundbridge there?" 

"Well, you sure as hell aren't driving." He pauses. "I'll cover for you, I know this sucks Anna." The woman in question does not respond, and when Optimus kneeled down to set her on the floor, all she did was walk toward the Groundbridge. "I'll see you in a minute Will." 

The Prime gazed at her back for a moment, before re-activating the previous set of coordinates and throwing the switch on the Groundbridge. 

He remembers watching her walk through the vortex of colors, looking over her shoulder to wave once. He remembers focusing his optics on her eyes and seeing a tear drip onto her shirt. 

He remembers not hearing from her for a year. 

And now he stands next to Ratchet at their main console as the children and their guardians chat over by their corner. He doesn't hear their conversation, he doesn't need to. Ratchet mumbles something quietly, hitting a few buttons on the console. It beeps angrily again, and he throws his servos in the air. "What I wouldn't give for some decent technology." 

Optimus nods, but is thankful for what they have. True, human technology is nowhere near as sophisticated as Cybertronian, but the gesture is kind. 

And then the communication link beeps with an incoming call. Ratchet groans, clearly not willing do deal with Agent Fowler, however much he means well. 

"We should not keep him waiting." He encourages, and the medic mutters something spitful under his breath. "Ratchet." 

"Fine, fine." He answers. "What is it now, Agent Fowler?" 

There's a chuckle on the other line, but it's not Fowler's, it's feminine. "I see I'm dearly missed." 

Optimus' spark nearly gives out then and there. It's Annalisa, for the first time in a year, he's hearing her voice. It's stronger, sounding more like the one he encountered in the desert and not the woman who was succumbing to a deadly disease. 

"Anna?" The medic calls, sounding skeptical, but there's a hint of joy in it. The other Autobots hear his question and their attention shifts. "No way," He hears Bulkhead whisper (however uncharacteristic that is of him) and Bumblebee chirps happily. They race over, shoving each other to get closer to the console. They're yelling questions and greetings, and when he steals a glance over at the children, they all sport the same look of confusion. 

She laughs (it's been too long since he's heard it, like music to his audio receptors.) "Hello to all of you, is Optimus there?" 

"Hello, Annalisa." 

He can hear her grin through the call. "Hey big guy, I've missed you."  _ And I, you.  _ "Look, I owe all of you an apology." every single one of them tells her something along the lines of 'absolutely not, we get it, no need to apologize.' Ratchet actually laughs. "Listen, I've been cleared, sorry I didn't call you sooner." More denials of apologies. "But, if you can spare a Groundbridge, I'll fill you all in." 

Ratchet is already prepping the Groundbridge. "Coordinates?" 

Annalisa laughs. "Sending them your way doc-bot." And send them she does. Soon enough (not fast enough in his opinion) the Groundbridge is powering up and a lone figure walks through. 

The woman who emerges is a far cry from the broken one he saw a year ago. She walks with a confidence in her stride that wasn't there before, though there is still a certain kind of hesitation in her step. Some of her hair has grown back, it's short and curly and it piled on top of her head. It reaches down onto her forehead and around her ears, Optimus watches as she brushes a strand of it away from her temple. 

Even from this distance (ever-growing shorter), there's a brightness in her eyes. It's returned from the time before cancer. She is similar to the woman he drove across the country, but she is not the same. Something has changed, and he cannot pin down what it is. 

The Groundbridge shuts down, and all of them are rushing to kneel in a circle around her. She grins, looking at all of them. Her gaze hits him, and neither of them looks away. Her smile grows a different emotion, and she gifts him with a small wave. 

She does a headcount, eyebrows furrowing, then does it again. "Wait, where's Cliff?" They are all suddenly silent, and she turns to Arcee, coming to the conclusion all by herself. "Oh, Arcee. I'm so sorry." 

She sends her a sad smile. "We had a good run." 

They remain in silence for a moment, Optimus thinks it to be another mourning session, this time, with the entire family. Annalisa stares at the floor until Bulkhead raises a question hesitantly. "Uh, how have you been?" 

She lets go of a chuckle, (Optimus will never admit that his cooling fans activate at the sound, nor with he acknowledge the look Ratchet serves him.) "Pretty good Bulk, how 'bout you?" 

And suddenly, the spell of melancholy has faded. Everyone is talking and asking questions, leaning forward. Optimus asks none, he knows there will be a time where he can carry her away from the ruckus and ask more personal ones of his own, ones she may not want to answer in front of an audience. 

Ratchet asks about health and symptoms, ever the medic, and listens raptly to every word she says. Bulkhead asks about work (after she tells them she's returned to Fowler's side). Arcee and Bumblebee ask about everything in between, and she answers with a well-meaning smile. 

She notices his silence, and while she's answering a question about her love life (that would be Arcee's doing) she looks over to him. Optimus nods, sporting his traditional smile. She winks at him and turns back to Arcee. 

His cooling fans kick up a notch (it's hard  _ not  _ to hear them at this point) and Ratchet gives him another look. (Optimus ignores it.) 

Annalisa is in the middle of laughing at something Bulkhead has said when the children make their way over to their impromptu huddle. She spots them, hiding behind Bulkhead's pede, and tilts her head. "Are you guys babysitters now?" 

"Oh, uh." Bulkhead looks down at the kids. 

Optimus fills in and says the first thing since she's walked through the Groundbridge. "There have been a few unseen accidents." 

She grins at him. "I can see that." 

Annalisa looks around Bulkhead's leg and the children emerge. Miko seems downright furious, Jack and Rafael appear more hesitant. " _ Who  _ is she?" 

They all rise, sensing a conflict. Annalisa crosses her arms. "A government official who could have you arrested, you?" Miko, for once in her life, doesn't say anything. Bulkhead above her fumbles for an answer and the other two children take a step back. The curly-haired woman grins. "I'm kidding." 

It seems like cracking a joke was the correct path to take, because the four of them are making introductions. Miko is jumping up and down, clearly thrilled to have another woman in the base. They ask so many questions that Ratchet groans and walks away, claiming to have an ache in his processor. Annalisa grins as he departs, sniggering. 

Once the children have finished their version of an interrogation, Optimus reaches a servo forward. The other Autobots have disbanded from their little semi-circle of greeting. They take their respective children with them, returning to whatever was happening before Annalisa arrived. 

She grins up at him, shaking her head in amusement at the children. "They seem a bit rowdy for your type." 

Optimus chuckled deeply. "They mean well." 

As they walk past Ratchet, he pauses in his work to ask a question, turning his helm. "Could you actually have them arrested?" 

A wicked grin spreads across her lips (Optimus was  _ not  _ staring at them.) "Of course." 

"Under what charges?" 

She reaches for one of his digits to keep her balance. "Trespassing on government property, and being overly obnoxious." 

Ratchet barks out a laugh which causes a few heads to turn, but the three of them ignore it, and Optimus paces down the hallway to his berth room. They reach the door and it opens with a hiss to greet them, closing the same way behind them. 

The room is just the same as Annalisa remembers it: sparsely decorated, with a desk and the Cybertronian version of a bed is the only furniture. There are a few datapads stacked neatly on the corner of the desk, probably filled with Cybertronian texts Optimus liked to read in both whatever free time he had, and before bed. 

He sits on the edge of his bed, regarding her with a welcoming gaze of warm, blue eyes that she's missed far too much. She sits in the palm of his hand as he rests it on his knee. The size difference between them is comical at times, other times, it's a welcome barrier between her and unwanted company (ie. that one time they were attacked by Decepticons out on a seemingly harmless drive.) 

"Hey," She says, as though there aren't a hundred other things she needs to say. "I owe you an apology- yes I do, stop it, just let me talk." And let her talk he does, though he seems a little hesitant about her apologizing. He always has been. 

"I should've called, or at least filled you in on what was going on. I left you guys in the dark for a year, I didn't even say anything when I left. I'm sorry, you guys are family." 

He chooses his next words carefully. "I accept your apology, though I still believe it unnecessary. I read into this cancer Fowler spoke of, and I know how much you went through. You will always have a place here." 

She smiles up at him. "Thanks, Optimus." 

"Will you return to your nation's capital?" 

"D.C.? Hell no. I went back to give the higher-ups my two-week notice and clean up some loose ends, but it's harder to quit a government job than one would think. The people there give me headaches, and besides, I want to be closer to you all. Make sure you don't blow something up without my permission," She adds with a grin. "Fowler's offered a sort of 'forced recommendation' for where ever I decide to settle. There's a military base somewhere around here, and from what I understand, the person in charge is less than ideal." 

"They will be lucky to have you." 

She snorts. "I think the guy in charge will feel the exact opposite, but thanks." 

They sit in silence again for a moment, until Optimus breaks it with a question. "Would you like to go for a drive? If I recall, you liked the quiet." 

"I'd love to." 

Optimus carries her to the front again, letting Ratchet know they'll be gone for a little while. The medic in question sighs, because how is he supposed to say no? Annalisa notices him pointedly giving her a look as Optimus transformers into the familiar Peterbilt, it can only be translated as 'don't fuck this up.'

And fuck it up, she does not. Optimus drives until she can no longer see the base in his rear-view mirror. They talk a little on the way (to where neither of them knows) but one of the things she liked about Optimus was they could be quiet together and think and it wouldn't be awkward. She already had enough loud people in her life, and Optimus was certainly not one of them. 

He drives off the road at one point, coming to a stop next to a mesa, and Annalisa gets out to sit on the dusty ground. They watch the sunset; Optimus fills her in on what's happened since she left, and Anna tells him about people who irk her in D.C. 

It is peaceful, quiet. All is well. 

Until the next morning, that is, when Optimus wakes to Annalisa thrashing on the couch. 

He drove them back after the sun had set and the landscape turned dark. The stars shone as he drove the nearly sleeping human in the driver's seat back to the home base. She could barely stand up straight, and he lost track of the number of yawns she let out. 

The minute she hit the couch, she was out, and it amused him just a little. 

He orders Ratchet to take a recharge, not budging when the medic protested there was work to be done. There was, in fact, work to be done, however, so Optimus stays up most of the night to complete it. 

He doesn't realize until his optics online again that he had fallen in to recharge. He doesn't know what woke him, until after resetting his optics, does he see Annalisa, who looks half awake. Her eyes are closed, but she's moving as though she's conscious and knows of the pain she seems to be in. He notices she seems to be avoiding any sort of contact with her back. Perhaps that is where the pain is emanating from. 

He walks over. "Annalisa," he calls once, and then again. She does not answer, and Optimus is about to call Ratchet from recharge when she sits upright and promptly falls off the couch with a small, 'oof'. She swears, wincing as she sits up, and catches his concern gaze. "I'm  _ fine _ , quit looking like my mother." 

"You are in pain, your vitals-" 

"Are fine, I'm fine, Optimus, honestly." 

He cocks his head to the side. "Please do not hide injuries, pride will worsen them." 

Annalisa scoffs, throwing off the blanket and wincing again. "I'm not being  _ prideful _ , Optimus, I'm being reasonable." 

"This does not fit within the definition of reasonable." 

She sighs, giving him a look. Exasperation, the children call it.

That's when Ratchet (bless his timing, Optimus will thank him for it later) walks into the room. It is still early, he's still a bit shocked he got the medic to sleep for this long. "Ratchet, Annalisa is-" 

"Fine! I am fine! Good Christ!" 

Ratchet (seeing reason, unlike  _ someone _ ) walks over with concern in his faceplate. "Anna is what?" 

"Fine!" 

"Injured." 

They say different things at the same time, and she sighs. "Ratchet, honest to God-" 

"What happened? Do not try and hide injuries from a medic. Optimus may have a soft spot for you but I do not, or at least, will not let that affect this. Now tell me, what happened?" 

Thank Primus for Ratchet's stubbornness. Annalisa, sensing defeat, sighs. "I don't know, it just sort of happened one day. They got bigger as time went on but I figured it was some sort of allergies or a bad reaction to hospital beds." She turns around, and Optimus thinks she's going to leave for a moment before she reaches and lifts off her shirt. 

There is no one in the base, aside from the three of them, and she is wearing an undergarment (he believes the females call them bras, he has also heard they are uncomfortable, and that cannot be helping with her current situation.) 

Stretching from her scapula to just above her waist, are two rashes. They're divided by her spine, and they look painful. They're red and raw, looking as though someone has used sandpaper against her skin. He guesses the feel is similar to a metal burn, and those do not feel pleasant. 

Ratchet does not say anything, but he does lean in closer, and Anna shivers, shoulders twitching. "You need a human doctor, I do not know how to treat this, nor do I have the supplies to do so." 

Annalisa shakes her head, working her shirt back over her head and down her back, grimacing as she goes. "I don't have the money. Besides, I've had enough of hospitals for several lifetimes." 

Optimus frowns. "If currency is an issue, I'm sure Agent Fowler-" 

"No," She cuts him off, staring at both of them. "Fowler doesn't need to know about this, he'll worry, like he always does." 

"He is perfectly right to be worrying." 

She sighs. "Optimus, I love you, but I won't go back to a hospital unless I absolutely need to. Besides, this isn't fatal, it's only a rash, and I have stuff- medication- that helps." 

He frowns. Nevermind the language she used that made his spark hitch, Annalisa is being stubborn. It is endearing, the fights she had with Ratchet in their first few days in D.C. lasted ages, but stubbornness has its downs, and this is clearly one of them. 

"If this worsens, will you please tell one of us? Agent Fowler will not be told, if that is what you wish, unless absolutely necessary." 

Anna smiles, and Optimus instantly feels better about this. "I will, thank you." Ratchet gives her a look that says 'if I find out you're hiding this from me, I'll drive you myself' before returning to the main console, and picking up where Optimus left off. 

Annalisa's condition does not get better, in fact, it worsens. 

She tries to hide it to the best of her ability, but the bots have advanced sensors that have them huddling in a group, discussing what to do. There was no point in hiding it in front of the other three, they would've raised a question eventually. It is better to talk out of earshot of the children. 

"Well, we can't exactly drive her to see a doctor ourselves," Bulkhead whispers, doing his best to watch if Miko gets within earshot. "And we can't take the kids with us, they can't legally drive." 

Bumblebee chirps, looking to Arcee. She sighs. "I can't use it, at least, not well. And I don't have an ID, apparently, humans need those for everything." 

Annalisa herself won't drive, she's been lying down with an ice pack brought in by one of the kids pressed to her back for the last few days. (She told them she'd pulled a muscle in her shoulder, and Jack had brought in an ice-pack from his mother the next day. Annalisa thanked him profusely and told him to send the thanks to his mom as well.) She won't tell him, but he hasn't seen her sit up straight in days. She mostly leans against the wall with her shoulder, or lays on her side, chugging pain medication as though someone is coming to saw off one of her limbs. 

Currently, she's cooped up in his berth room, most likely in the pile of blankets she acquired from her apartment. 

Ratchet, as a part of his deal to not alert Agent Fowler to her condition, demanded she stay at the base. With little argument, Annalisa had moved a small number of things into his room. 

The rashes have gotten worse over the past few days. At some point, they started bleeding, and Annalisa was bitting back screams of pain as she bandaged them herself. She still refuses to call Agent Fowler or any member of her family or friends. 

The Autobots discuss this at great length.  _ Why don't we call Fowler? He'll take her to get medical attention _ . Bumblebee chirps. 

Bulkhead nods in agreement. "Or we could just let Ratchet fix her up."

The medic scoffs, and Optimus has to fight off a smirk. "Bulkhead, this is  _ delicate  _ work, I can't operate on a human." 

"You're delicate. Sometimes." 

Ratchet sighs, rubbing her faceplate with a servo. "Her vitals are not exactly comforting either, she has a fever, and by human standards, it's a rather high one, and-" 

A call from Jack interrupts them. Smokescreen, their newest edition to the team, has gone after a relic on his own. Jack is with him, safe, yes, but Smokescreen is not. Megatron is here, and so are a healthy number of Decepticons. 

Optimus desperately wants to remain behind. Annalisa is not getting better, that much is clear, but he cannot simply leave his teammate (and someone who looks up to him as much as Smokescreen does) to fend for himself, especially with Megatron in the mix. 

So they leave. He tries not to think about Anna as he's driving up the mountain, doing his best to avoid the incoming fire, but he knows what's at stake, and so does Megatron. 

The Star Saber feels like it was made for him. The way his servos fit around its hilt is almost an exact mold for them. He can feel the power coursing through both it, and him when he wields it against  _ The Nemesis.  _

The vision he receives from Alpha Trion adds to their current situation and does not help. 

Finding the Iacon relics becomes the number one objective in the base. Annalisa's condition is not forgotten, but neither is it addressed. Ratchet orders her to stay at the base where he can monitor her condition. The children fetch supplies and food when she needs them (she thanks them profusely, watching movies with them in their little alcove and telling stories of work as payment.) 

All of his time and effort is thrown into decrypting the coordinates to the Iacon relics. It is tedious work, and he is rustier than he remembers, but he makes due. 

He attempts to give an apology to Annalisa one night after Ratchet practically forced him into recharge. ("You cannot continue to work around the clock like this! You insist I take a recharge and yet you do not so much as stop to intake energon.") It is a groggy apology, and his body is already beginning the recharge cycle, but he still hears her response. She laughs, out of amusement, not of joy. She's standing when he comes in, coming out of a particularly high bought of fever. Her temperature is still above average and her wounds still bleed, but she stands, and that is good enough for him. "Get some rest, big guy, I'll still be here when you wake up." 

She is, re-applying her bandages to her back, casting the bloodied and wrinkled ones in a corner. She'll take care of them later, she promises, and she smiles at him when he rises from his berth. It makes his spark skip a beat and gives him the boost he needs to decode the rest of the coordinates. 

Then comes the moment that only his nightmares can compare to. 

The children,  _ all  _ of the children, including Annalisa, are used as bartering chips for the Omega Keys. 

After a days-long fever, it finally breaks sometime during the middle of the night. 

She's still in pain, that is the only thing that's remained a constant in the past weeks. The rashes have gotten worse, Annalisa doesn't even know if they qualify as rashes at his point. They're red, raw, and the bleeding won't stop. She pulled aside Jack one day, high into her fever, and asked if he would take Arcee out and buy bandages and pain meds, along with an itch-relief cream she'd used in the past. The cooling sensation it gave delivered temporary relief from whatever the hell was on her back. 

He agreed (bless his heart) though with a certain sense of confusion. She gave him money for it and he returned within the hour. He asked what she needed them for, and gave him a half-truth. 

"My back hurts, I think I've got a rash from my bed, thanks, kid." Noting her distant tone, he left, not before Anna asked him not to tell the other two what she'd asked of him. 

Jack did the same thing twice more, each time coming back with the required supplies and each time asking the same question. She gave him the same answer every time. 

Shivering and waking in a puddle of her own sweat, Annalisa shudders. The room is in focus, it's been a long time since she could clearly make out the shape of Optimus and his practically empty room. 

Speaking of which, where is he?

Using the wall as support and throwing a zip-up hoodie over her bandages (getting an actual shirt over them was now seemingly impossible, both in pain tolerance and flexibility. Something happened in the past few weeks to her bone structure, and now every bone above her waist aches. Especially her shoulders and spine, any muscle movement there usually sends her to the floor. If she can manage to reach an arm around to her back near the rashes, there are two bumps below her shoulder blades that feel solid and hard. She cannot explain them, nor does she want to.) Anna stands. 

The room does not spin, though she does falter on her feet for a moment, but she remains upward. An accomplishment, considering the past few weeks. 

Annalisa sends a prayer skyward, to God, Primus, or whoever, and takes a hesitant step forward. Optimus' room remains still, the world does not spin on its axis. Still holding onto the wall, she takes another step, and still, everything stays flat. 

She lets out a little laugh and winces. The muscles on her back and shoulder still throb, but, from what, she doesn't know. Taking a deep breath and a few more steps with a hand against the wall, Anna lets go. 

She can stand on her own two feet, a miracle in of itself. Her hand hovers a few inches from the wall in case her legs decide to give out. With limited food and less-than-ideal sleeping space (though a pile of blankets and pillows is  _ very  _ nice) it's a wonder her body will let her stand and walk. 

She makes it to the giant door, which hisses open as a greeting. Ratchet re-calibrated the motion sensors to pick up her tiny movements (at least, compared to Optimus and the other bots.) 

Her legs are weak, she doesn't need a doctor to tell her that, she hasn't walked anywhere in days, weeks even. They wobble as she moves down the corridor and into the main room, shivering. A small wave of nausea hits, and she has to steady herself against the wave and pause. 

Ratchet is the only one in the main room, even the kids aren't there. He's staring intently at the communication link that's open to Optimus and doesn't notice her arrival. 

She clears her throat, doing her best to seem indifferent and not in some pain. Ratchet starts and does a double-take, looking down at her. "You're up?" 

Anna nods. "I feel a lot better." That's true, but she also knows her body isn't done healing yet. But by God, if she spends another day laying around in anguish she will lose her mind. 

Ratchet raises a metal eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe." He lifts up an arm. Part of his plating flips open, and a red beam sweeps over her. She doesn't feel anything, and she realizes it must be a scanner of some sort. He hums. "Your vitals have evened out, though your temperature is still above normal." 

She shrugs. "I feel fine, a lot better." 

The communication line beeps, but the call is not from Optimus, it's from Jack, and his image pops up on the board. "Uh, Ratchet?" 

The old medic sighs and answers. All in all, the kids are still at school and waiting for the Autobots to pick them up. Ratchet sighs again, and tells him they're busy, but will be in touch (she finds that hard to believe) and hangs up. 

"I could take them." She proposes, and he scoffs. 

"As if, you're still unhealthy." 

"I told you I feel fine." She shivers slightly, and Ratchet raises his eyebrow again. "I'm cold." 

"You're wearing a sweatshirt." 

"It's cold in here!" 

"I don't even have the vents open." 

She throws up her hands. "It'll be warmer outside." Ratchet opens his mouth to probably say that she is  _ not  _ going outside, but Anna interrupts him. "My apartment isn't far from the school, a mile or so, maybe less. The kids don't have a ride home or a ride anywhere in fact. I'll take them to my place, get them off your back, and you can call me later." 

"You are in no condition to be outside and moving around." 

"You said my vitals were fine!" 

"I said they were better, not  _ fine."  _

"Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to get some fresh air? To walk around a bit? I'm going out whether you like it or not, but you can help me do something useful." He doesn't look convinced. Anna sighs (there seems to be a lot of that going around recently.) "Look, if I collapse or start hurling up my last meal, you have every right to say 'I told you so'. But if I spend one more day cooped up in a room throwing up or breaking out into a cold sweat, I will lose my marbles." 

This time, Anna's stubbornness prevails. Ratchet mumbles under his breathe and plugs in a set of coordinates. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with you Groundbridging in this state." 

She folds her arms. "So you want me to walk all the way into Jasper?" 

"I don't want you going into Jasper in particular!" 

"I need to grab some stuff from my apartment, just a few things, essentials, so I might as well go." 

"That's a new excuse." 

"Ratchet!" 

"Fine, fine!" More mutterings under his breath. The Groundbridge roars to life, the light casting an eerie glow on her face. "I believe humans have a saying," says Ratchet, turning back to look at her. 

Annalisa crosses her arms on the edge of the Groundbridge, ready to leave. "We have a lot, be more specific." 

"The eye of a hurricane." 

She snorts. "That's an actual thing too, but yes, it's a saying. Why?" 

He doesn't respond for a moment. He sounds- dare she say worried? "I believe another one is 'the calm before the storm'. If you do not take it easy and return in the state you are in now, I believe your sayings will come into play." 

Anna remembers the first time she Groundbridged. 

They'd been at the Jasper base for a week or two and with the help of Bumblebee and Optimus (Ratchet didn't trust Bulkhead anywhere  _ near  _ important wiring or mechanics, he still doesn't) the medic had built their mode of transportation. 

She'd asked him to explain it several times, even asked him to demonstrate. Optimus vanished in swirling colors of blue, green, yellow, and white. She thought for a moment he'd been vaporized (Ratchet laughed, so did Bulkhead) and when he opened it back up again, their leader walked through, unscathed. 

Annalisa tried it a few days later, with much assurance from Ratchet and Optimus, that she would not die. Perhaps a bit nauseated, but she'd get used to the sensation. 

Needless to say, Fowler was more than shocked to have her walk through a portal in the middle of his office in D.C.

Walking through it now, emerging next to the school, was more or less, the same experience. She jumped through, the Groundbridge closing behind her, and immediately, stumbled to the wall for support. 

Unlike when she rose in Optimus' room, the landscape and building around her spun on their axis'. Nausea rolled in her stomach, and she coughed onto the pavement, feeling bile rise in her throat. 

A shout echoed somewhere to her left, and the sound of three pairs of footsteps followed, coming to a stop next to her. "Anna?" Jack put a careful hand on her shoulder, feeling her shiver. "What're you doing here?" 

Annalisa straightened, rolling her shoulders. Nausea faded, though not entirely gone, and she smiles down at the three kids, ignoring it. "Coming to pick you three up. My apartment isn't far from here, and since the bots are busy, I figured I'd order takeout." 

Miko cheered, jumping in the air, and Raf smiled. Jack frowned. "I thought you were sick?" 

Anna shrugged. "I'm feeling fine, Groundbridging brings out the worse. Besides, we can't just  _ leave  _ you guys here. I'll call your parents when we're at my place and they can come to pick you up after work." 

Jack nods, seeing the logic, and they walk down the alley-way next to the school. They walk, that is until a red muscle car pulls up in front of them. The three kids stumble backward, crying out. Jack says something along the lines of 'Knockout', but Anna doesn't know anyone by that name. 

Then a purple car, two of them, pull up from the opposite direction. They're cornered, and she swears, not paying attention to her young company. 

The three cars transform. The two look-alikes into Decepticon drones, and the red sports car into who must be Knockout. They bend down, leering at the four of them with red eyes. 

The sight of Annalisa in the glass containment sends his anger reeling, not to mention the other three children, pounding on the walls. Rafael has a tear streaming down his cheek, Miko pounds on the glass with tight fists, promising revenge, and Jack calls out to Arcee. 

Annalisa is not even standing, she's keeled over on the floor, hunched in a ball. The effects of Spacebridging on Cybertron must've not aided in her recovery and only added to her symptoms. The jacket she wears has been sweated through, and she shivers. There are dark circles under her eyes, but she does not look pitiful. She glares at Starscream who's holding her container, and her gaze is enough promise without words. 

At the sight of his team, she looks over and her eyes find his. Her gaze softens, she tries to give him a reassuring look, telling him through feeling alone that she is fine. 

He doubts it very much, and when Megatron threatens to open them to his planets toxic atmosphere, his engines roar, loud enough for the Decepticon warlord to hear it. He only laughs. 

The exchange is simple, and though he would do anything to see his homeworld full of life again, he will not leave four innocent lives to die at his expense. 

The explosion his Star Saber creates when destroying the Omega lock rattles his pistons, all the way from helm to heel strut. He does not have time to rush back and protect Annalisa from the blast radius, but when the dust clears, he sees Bumblebee shielding both her and Rafael. His nod of thanks is not verbal, but he does not need words, and his scout knows what he cannot say. 

He doesn't want to Spacebridge back to Earth, the loss of the ability to heal his planet weighs heavy on him. The pristine building on the skyline used for a demonstration and the smothering remains of the Omega Lock are the only pieces of evidence that it was ever here in the first place. Returning to their base, however, is their only option. 

Bumblebee hands him Annalisa, shivering and still huddled on the floor, and Optimus spots another, darker stain on her jacket: blood. She's soaked through whatever bandages she'd applied and now through her clothing. She barely looks at him too when he lifts her to eye level. "Ratchet, open a Spacebridge." The sooner they can get her under medical care, the better. He will not let her stubbornness prevail, not this time. She is clearly not getting better, and though he respects her wishes, he also needs her to be alive. 

They walk into the base, their party is not a happy one, and immediately Ratchet demands answers, and even more so when he sees the children. And when Optimus brings up the rear holding an even worse looking Annalisa, the only thing that comes out of Ratchet's intake is a soft, "Oh no." 

_ Oh no, indeed  _ he thinks, as his medic scans Anna's vitals. "Her temperature has risen again, I fear her symptoms may be spiking." 

"I will call Agent Fowler." 

There are no protests from the woman in question. Ratchet has delicately removed her from the Decepticon containment cell and holds her gingerly in his servo. 

But is it Agent Fowler who calls him first, and what follows does nothing but add stress and ever-mounting fear to their situation. 

The siege against their home base does nothing to soothe his anxiety, and he throws any effort he has left into fighting off incoming Decepticons. Agent Fowler (is going to get himself killed one of these days if he keeps up this reckless behavior) and Wheeljack buy them some time and the five of them retreat back into the base. 

It hits him suddenly what needs to happen. 

The Autobots Groundbridge out one by one, taking their human counterpart with them. Rafael, the youngest, goes first. Then follows Miko, then Jack. Smokescreen salutes, and Optimus feels a pang in his spark at the sight. Someone so devoted and who holds him to such a high standard is too young for this. More than ever, he wishes the war for Cybertron had never happened. 

Then comes the hardest part. 

Ratchet, still manning the Groundbridge controls, holds Annalisa in one servo. In the time everyone else was on the roof, he retrieved much of her supplies and possessions from his room. She's wrapped in one of her sheets, he does not know if the bandages on her back have been changed, all that matters is that she leaves the base safely. He cannot be there to assure it, so he looks to Ratchet. 

And without so much as saying a word, his oldest friend knows. He looks down at Anna, and back up at Optimus. "I will make sure she receives medical care." There's a pause. Optimus can hear the battle raging outside and the rumble of  _ The Nemesis' _ engines. It means he is running out of time. "She will be most unhappy if you are not there." 

"I will ensure the Decepticons cannot follow." He says slowly, and Ratchet knows there is no talking him out of this. 

"I never imagined it would end like this." He says slowly, holding Anna close to his chest as he walks through the Groundbridge. 

"Neither did I, old friend," Optimus says to no one, unclipping the Star Saber from his back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Part 2 of this will be up as soon as I can write the rest of it (or as soon as motivation hits me like a train, again.)


End file.
